Page 5 of End Game

Unable to do anything else, he nodded.

“A friend on the school board of a nearby county confided in Aunt Joan their belief that Kayla was attempting to influence a colleague’s vote on an upcoming agenda item.”

Déjà-Kayla-vu.

Coming from his Aunt Joan brought a helluva lot more validity to the accusation. His empty stomach knotted, and he forgot all about his melting body. “How?”

“According to this other board member, Kayla gifted her peer with an expensive Celtic artifact.”

Lawson had said “artwork.” His own bungling of words? Or his cousin’s?

“The board member knows this, how?”

“Evidently, she overheard the two discussing the artifact, which she recognized from attending a recent event at Kayla’s home. A few days later, the other board member was gushing about the fact her curator son had managed to secure a ten-thousand-year-old artifact for the grand opening of the new natural history museum in Asheville.”

Cameron’s mind flashed back to the file folder sitting on his desk. “What do you want me to do, exactly?”

“Find out if there’s any truth to the situation and, if there is, convince Kayla to fix it.”

“Why not ask Liv? They’re best friends. If anyone can put the lobbyist straight, it would be her.” Investigating a potential pay-to-play scheme in an official capacity would be hard enough. Interrogating a family friend was another thing all together.

“No,” Zeke said, uncompromising. “I don’t want Liv involved with this. If Kayla has stepped over the line, it would stress out Liv. Something I want to avoid at all costs, right now.”

Cameron frowned. As a former special agent, Liv had dealt with far more stressful situations than this without falling apart. What was going on right now that had triggered his brother’s full-on protective mode?

He let it go for now. “Why do you think I’ll be able to get through to her?”

“I don’t know. Flash your badge. Impress upon her the seriousness of the situation.”

“Kayla’s been a lobbyist for a long time. I’m sure she understands the consequences of tampering with votes.”

They fell silent while the server delivered their lunch.

Once she was gone, Cameron said, “If this board member is right and Kayla’s putting her career on the line, she’s either taken a personal interest in the issue or there’s something much bigger at stake.”

“Agreed.”

“Did Aunt Joan indicate what the vote was for?”

“Something related to the book ban issue. A parents’ bill of rights policy.” His left knee pumped with the right now.

Did Kayla have a friend whose kid attended a school in Engel County? Was she on a crusade to protect young readers’ access to books? Or did she have an author friend whose book had been banned?

He didn’t know her well enough to answer his own questions. A result of spending the last few years avoiding the lobbyist.

“I don’t know, Zeke. I haven’t been exactly cordial to her during our few encounters. Phin might be better suited for feeling her out.”

“God knows why, but Phin’s enjoying the work he’s doing for her. I don’t want something like this jeopardizing their relationship.” Zeke tapped the blunt tips of his fingers against the table. “Will you talk to her? Kayla’s done a lot for our family. We owe her.”

Cameron’s jaw clenched at his brother’s invocation of family again.

His instincts warned him to keep his investigation professional, keep family out of it. But he couldn’t easily say no to his brother. Especially since Zeke had checked his ego and tamped down his tsunami of emotions in order to ask for his help.

Cameron tapped his forefinger against his condensation-slick glass. His mind buzzed with all the ways he could screw this up, personally and professionally.

But he couldn’t get around the fact that Kayla had tapped into her extensive list of contacts and extraordinary resources to assist BARS, several times, without recompense or apparent benefit to herself.

He glanced up, saw the storm of disappointment rising in his brother’s gaze. Before Zeke could bolt, he nodded. “I’ll speak to her, but don’t expect a miracle. Our feelings toward one another aren’t what you’d call conducive to discussion, let alone persuasion.”

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